Welcome to my kid friendly blog, for all ages! I am a lady, 60 years young, who lives in Montreal, Canada and born on October 27th. I am a HSP (Highly Sensitive Person). Please have a seat and make yourself at home. If you enjoy my posts, please feel free to follow me or subscribe to my blog. To learn more about me please view my profile and continue to check out my posts.
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Friday, September 08, 2017

Your Thoughts and Feedback are Welcome

Hello everyone! Welcome, and thank you for being here! My regular Weekend post is here...Wonder Filled WeekendBy now most of you, if not all of you, are familiar with my housing situation, but I will mention it briefly for those of you who are not. I have been on the low cost/social housing list in Montreal for 6 and a half years now, and "my number" has still not come up, although it is smaller than it was in the beginning. Still, it seems like forever, especially since my income is quite small, which is why I applied for this in the first place!I was talking with one of my cousins yesterday and she said something that really has me wondering now. See, and again, for those of you who may not be aware of this, we have had MANY people, thousands, actually, that have crossed our Quebec border from the U.S., illegally, and on foot. I believe the majority of these people are originally from Haiti, so their mother tongue would be Creole, and they would be fluent in French. Although I can empathize with their plight and believe me, being a highly sensitive person I am able to put myself in someone else's shoes, especially since I have been through many difficulties myself. O.K., perhaps not the same difficulties as they or others, but enough that I am able to feel for those who are in difficult situations.Now, these people who have crossed our Quebec border illegally from the U.S. are able to receive Medicare from our health care system as well as, in some cases, Welfare benefits. This is no doubt putting a strain on our system here, and the waiting times in hospital emergency rooms here are already quite long, (as some of you will know from a previous post I made a few months back, as I was one of the people who was at an emergency room in a hospital and was there for over 12 hours and still hadn't received a diagnosis!), so because it was so late (past midnight), and I don't have a car and could not afford to pay for a taxi, I was forced to leave without a diagnosis in order to make sure I could take the bus home! I had finally gotten a diagnosis from an ophthalmologist who, thanks to my own family doctor who took over my case the following Monday. I had uveitis, which is an optic condition that can cause blindness, if left untreated. Anyway, thank goodness it was diagnosed and treated successfully. In my case, the ophthalmologist had said that the cause of this attack of uveitis was because the arthritis was attacking my body. Ugh.Anyway, getting back to topic here....as I mentioned, I have been on this waiting list for low cost housing in Montreal for 6 and a half years now. When I talked with my cousin yesterday, she suggested that perhaps all the illegal immigrants/refugees crossing our Quebec border may be playing a part in making my waiting list longer? Now, don't get me wrong, I am not a racist and do not judge people based on the colour of their skin, where they are from or anything like this, and my heart goes out to people who are in even a worse situation than I am! In this case, however, and if it is true that the refugees coming here and who have crossed our border illegally are playing a part in the waiting time for my receiving a low cost apartment, I am royally annoyed. See, what is annoying me is that the fact remains that they have crossed our border ILLEGALLY....let us not minimize this fact! If I were to do the same thing, cross the U.S. (or any other country's border) illegally, should I expect to receive a warm welcome and be entered into the welfare system and be able to access the free health care provided by the country? Absolutely not! I would be foolish to even assume this. Now I do not know if this is indeed what is or may be happening, but if it is, can you understand my frustration? I was born here, worked here all my life, lived here all my life, and have health issues and my finances are so tight that I am unable to afford "the average" rent costs, hence my having applied for the low cost housing.And not only that, but I am embarrassed to have made a couple of posts on my blog asking for donations...which is something I have never done before and hopefully will never have to do again. However, I am going about it legally...I am not stealing from a store or individual, and I am not asking for something that someone is not able to provide, I am simply asking those who wish to, and are able to, to help. I hate having to do this and if these low cost people had taken my situation into proper consideration, I would have an apartment that I can afford right now. :( There is a Go Fund Me link on the right hand column of my blog, and I am very grateful for those who have helped and for those who can help. Anyway, thank you so much for listening, and I would really appreciate your feedback and thoughts. All comments are welcome, and I allow everyone an opportunity to comment, just type in your name if you are not a registered Blogger user, so that I know who you are, or else I will see "Anonymous", and comments like these are usually spam, which I do not allow or publish. Comments must be family friendly, as I have readers from all over the world and even children, so I thank you so much for respecting this. Any spam comments are promptly deleted and do not get published.Love and hugs to you all!

55 comments:

Sorry you feel trapped but living in socially assisted housing also has issues. Often the housing is not in good condition and then some of the neighbouring tenents may have issues. Have you tried a price limit search on a place like craigslist to find an apt for $400? You may be able to find a space that does suit your budget. Not so sure that refugees are getting the spots you hope for. In many cases the city finds alternative housing like temp space in an older hostel.

Hello Heidi, yes, I am using this avenue for doing my searches, and hopefully I will find something decent, and as affordable as possible. And yes, I agree with you, all of the low housing buildings may not be ideal, so I can only hope that the one that they find for me WILL be. I appreciate your advice and comment, thank you!

Hi Carol, thank you so much. A few people I have spoken with have told me that the refugees fall under a different category, which means that they can't just come here and get housing, especially the low income, where many people are on the waiting list for, and that they are given temporary housing such as in shelters and buildings that are no longer being used, are being used temporarily to house them while they are being processed.

You are doing a very politically INCORRECT thing, Linda. You are voicing concerns that illegal immigration could possibly have a negative impact on the quality of life of legal citizens. Still, it is hard for many legal citizens to understand why our governments reward those who violate immigration laws.

It is difficult to even discuss the issue with some people. They become absolutely indignant. If you voice an objection, they shout at you and label you as cold hearted, immoral, racist... You are invited to take a guilt trip.

Your question that if you were to enter the US illegally, would you receive a warm welcome... In some cases, the answer is yes, you would. Ever hear of "sanctuary cities"?

Look at our world right now - the EU, the US and now Canada with the chaos involving legal refugees and illegal aliens (oops, I was supposed to say undocumented immigrants). Everyone has the answer, but no one really has the answer.

So, Linda, I think you are doing the right thing. You are depending on your friends. Do not depend on your government. Your government is not your friend.

Hi dear Chris, thank you so much for your comment, I really appreciate it. To be honest, I was a bit nervous about posting this, but I needed to express my feelings, as I have learned that keeping things inside has only caused some people to become bitter and resentful, and I do not wish to be this way. And I truly hope that what I have said in this post has neither hurt nor offended anyone, these are just thoughts and feelings, nothing more. And how right you are that the government is not our friend! Thank God for good friends and kind people, what would our world be like without them? Worse than it is now, I am sure. Love and hugs to you, my cherished friend.

Linda this is the same story in the UK. People come from other countries and they get housing and medicare free while British people are out of jobs and waiting for homes. I feel for you as I have seen the problem for myself. My parents were born in the UK and worked all their early life there. My father was in the merchant navy during the war and my Mum in the police. When they applied for a pension they were told they were not eligible.... long story but they never ever got a pension while others who were not British did! It is a very strange world we live in! Hope your weekend is a good one Diane

Hi Diane, thank you so much for your comment, and it is good to know that this is not only happening here but in other places as well. In other words, it is good to know that I am not alone and that it doesn't only happen here.

It is frustrating and I think most people understand. The best thing about Canada, in my opinion, is our open boarders but not at the expense of Canadians when our system is already under intense pressure. Im not sure what the answer is. It is a very complex balancing act.

I was about to say the situation is just the same in the UK, but I see Diane got there before me, so I will just say you have my utmost sympathy Linda, and I really hope things get sorted for you soon. Have a lovely weekend dear friend.

This is such a difficult issue, and I wouldn't offer an opinion because I feel I just don't know enough about such a complex issue. I came to the US over 41 years ago as an immigrant, when I met and fell in love with my husband when he was in the U.K. for two years. Yes it was legally done. However, I understand all your concerns and I fervently hope with all my heart your situation gets better Linda.

Greetings, Linda! I did not realize how much difficulty you were having. I'm so sorry that you have not realized your housing preferences and medical benefits. But it's the same here. Only our illegals come from the south. I think, though, that your illegals get more and better benefits than ours do. I've read of similar situations in European countries.

I'm glad you got your eye problem solved. That sounds horrible. I don't have any answers. A short time ago I had to rush Lois Anne to a local emergency room and we were there about 12 hours before she was able to see a doctor. It wasn't purposeful, but the place was very busy.

As you can see, I'm back and will be blogging again, hopefully on a regular basis. However, with Hurricane Irma heading our way I'm not sure if we will have the resources to do any blogging for a few days or weeks. We're most worried about our daughter and her family in south Florida. They are in a real mess and can't leave because they have a farm with animals who need to be protected and cared for. It's not much fun. It's possible they might come see us when the worst is over but we now have a very small house. We'll put them up somehow but it will be crowded!

Overall, we're fine with some lingering cancer issues but we hope to have those resolved before too long. I look forward to once again sharing photos and insights through our blogs.

A very warm welcome back to you, Lowell! I have been thinking about you and have heard about the weather in your area and was just about to visit your blog and comment, letting you know of my concerns and that I hope you are doing well, and that you are safe! Thank you so much for stopping by and for your comment, I really appreciate it and am very happy to see you!

I hope things will work out for you. In these situations, there is always a solution and it's the one that is unexpected which usually solves the problem. We have been in situations where we didn't know what to do and the solution wasn't even one that we had thought about. So our mantra since then has been, "weird stuff happens" and it does. Stay positive Linda and before you know it, this will be in the rear view mirror.

Linda, you have tackled a subject that is challenging a number of countries. Certainly illegal immigration has caused a lot of anger here in the USA, and it contributed to President Trump's win last November. There are no easy answers to the complex issue of illegal immigration.

I know that you are in a difficult position, and I do hope more affordable housing becomes available for you soon. I imagine that you have considered this option and it may not work for you with your health and HSP issues, but what about renting a room in someone's home on a short term basis?

Years ago, Terry had to take a job in California while I remained teaching in Colorado. We could not afford the expense of two place, more could we afford to give up either job. So Terry rented a room in a person's home for three and a half years. We could only get together about every three months, so it was difficult. But we made it work, and we came through just fine in the end.

Housing is all desirable cities is becoming so expensive, and many regular people are being priced out by those with a lot of money, and yes, foreigners with a lot of money snapping up real-estate as a safe haven for their money. We have homeless people in tents across the street from our modest hotel in Victoria. They are protesting the lack of affordable housing in Victoria, and the Royal BC Museum has a discussion coming up on tent cities and the lack of housing for people. Money always seems to win out over people.

Hi Louise, thank you so much for sharing this, and I really appreciate your comments. I had thought of a room, of sorts, either in a house or a very small apartment as well, I am looking at all options. Hugs and love to you, my cherished friend.

Hi, Linda! I forgot to say that I'm glad that you got the eye care that you needed. It's so awful that you went through that emergency room situation. I am facing cataract surgery. I was surprised that I needed it ~ until I returned to Victoria. I was stunned at the change in my vision in a year. It's less noticeable in a familiar place as the changes progressed. Here's to modern medical care and the wonders it can do, kale saving eyesight!

Dear Linda, You are in my thoughts, and I do so hope your housing situation is solved to your satisfaction really soon. Keep positive dear one, and something will turn up. See you on my return, by which time I hope things will be better for you.x

Hello, I hope you get your living situation solved soon. I think a room in a house may be a god idea. Especially if you do not need a lot of space. MY thoughts and prayers are with you. I wish you all the best.

The public housing offerings in Australia are dreadful too. I know people who have been on the list for 15 years (!) and still are not in. I really hope you don't have to wait too much longer. I always imagine Canada as one of the countries that actually has their act together and are pretty good with social services. I hope they don't prove me wrong.

I agree, Monica, and thanks a lot for your comment. Although I cannot speak for all of Canada, I can definitely speak for this province...Quebec. I have been here all my life and am very happy at the social services available here, as well as the medical system. Waiting times can be long but the services themselves are excellent. Thanks so much for commenting.

Dear Linda - Canada has very good reputation in Japan. Regarding immigrants, Canada is thought to be a safe haven and many people of my country don’t know the current situation of Canada. Balance is important between the wellbeing of the legal citizens and protection policy for refuges. However, cutting into the proper line is unacceptable, I really sympathize with you, Linda. I’ll keep my fingers crossed your turn will come so soon before you find a solution on your own. With best wishes.

I am so sorry about your situation Linda! And, I pray, something truly comes out great from all of this for you! We watch on the news about all the immigrants coming into Quebec and I have even said to my mom, I wonder if this is affecting Linda? I hope it's not!! Big Hugs!

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